Electrical terminals that have compliant retention sections for mechanical engagement and electrical connection with plated through holes in printed or etched circuit boards are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,982 discloses an electrical terminal that has a section thereof which is split or sheared which forms a pair of legs that are physically offset with respect to each other along the shear plane so that inner parts of the shear surfaces overlap and engage one another thereby forming a compliant section. The ends of the legs are tapered to guide the offset legs into a plated through hole. When the legs engage the plate through hole and frictionally move therealong as the compliant section is inserted into the hole, they frictionally slide along each other as they move towards each other along the engaging shear surfaces thereby mechanically securing the compliant section in the plated through hole and electrically connected therewith.
Electrical terminals having compliant sections of this type have excellent retention characteristics thereby requiring no solder to retain them in the respective plated through holes, although solder can be used if desired.
It is essential that electrical terminals having compliant retention sections that are completely compliant over their entire length be inserted into plated through holes in printed, etched and multilayer boards with minimal distortion to the plated through holes. The compliant retention sections must also have the required retention forces to retain the electrical terminals in the plated through holes without the use of solder.